- The narrator goes to get his own wounds cleaned up by Mevrou, and she tells him that he has to get ready to take the train home.
- The narrator learns that his family has moved to another province because all the farm's chickens were killed because of a disease. The grandpa sold his farm and moved to a town called Barberton that the narrator had never heard of.
- The narrator tells Mevrou that a dog had eaten Granpa Chook that day, and she is disappointed. She says that kaffir (an offensive term for black people) chickens are just like kaffirs, because they let you down just when you start to trust them. How's that for racist?
- Mevrou takes the narrator into town to get some shoes for his train journey.
- When they arrive at Harry Crown's store, the shopkeeper asks the narrator his name. He tells him, "Pisskop," and Harry Crown is upset at this.
- Harry Crown doesn't have any shoes small enough for Pisskop, and Mevrou makes him stuff his smallest pair with newspaper and buys them, even though they make the boy walk like a duck.
- As they leave, Harry Crown gives Pisskop a new name, Peekay, and also gives him four suckers for his journey.
- Later that afternoon Peekay and Mevrou head to the train station, where he learns that he will be taken care of on his two-day journey by Hoppie Groenewald, the railway champion boxer.
- Mevrou tells Peekay that his grandpa only bought him three meals on the train, so that he must eat his sandwiches for three of the other meals, and then makes him put on his gigantic shoes before he gets into the wagon.
- The extra-long shoes are too hard to walk in and he falls, but Hoppie helps him up.
- Mevrou and Peekay say goodbye to each other and Hoppie begins to tell Peekay about boxing as the journey begins.
- When Peekay learns that a little boxer can beat a big one if he has the timing, speed, and footwork, he becomes very interested in becoming the welterweight champion of the world.
- Hoppie lets Peekay take a jab at him, and after he connects he starts to laugh. Then he starts to cry, and Hoppie holds him for a bit.
- Hoppie takes Peekay out for a gigantic mixed grill at a Railway Café at the next stop, and won't let him eat the horrible sandwiches Mevrou sent. He also pays, since Peekay only has a shilling for emergencies. Finally—someone is being nice to this kid. It's been a long time coming.
- The waitress, Anna, flirts with Hoppie, and tells him that she bet on his opponent for tomorrow's fight.
- Peekay tries a milkshake for the first time and discovers that it is, just as Hoppie promised, heaven.